A Bronx man is now facing federal charges after being extradited from Jamaica along with his wife, in a case tied to a multi-year scheme that targeted elderly victims across the country. His name is Swayne Barker, and authorities say he’s also known in Jamaica by the alias “Black Boss.” His wife, Ricki Rickaline Gibbs, was extradited alongside him, though her situation is a bit different, more on that below.
The two arrived in the United States on August 27, 2026, and were presented before a federal magistrate judge shortly after.
What Barker Is Accused Of
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Barker faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to receive stolen money. Prosecutors say his role was in a multi-year scheme that defrauded elderly victims across the United States, racking up losses of more than $1.7 million from more than 20 victims.
That’s a pretty wide reach for one scheme, more than 20 people across the country losing money to the same operation over time.
His Wife’s Case Is a Bit More Complicated
Here’s where the story gets interesting. Gibbs, 31, a dual U.S.-Jamaican citizen, had already pleaded guilty back in September 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud tied to this same scheme. In January 2026, U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas sentenced her to 51 months in prison.
Except she never showed up to serve it. Gibbs reportedly fled to Jamaica instead, and that’s exactly why she’s now facing an additional charge of failure to surrender for service of sentence, on top of the sentence she already has waiting for her. That charge alone carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Gibbs has also been ordered to pay forfeiture of $1,018,703 and restitution of $1,379,402, along with three years of supervised release once her prison term is done.
What Barker Could Face
If convicted, Barker’s most serious charges, the wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy counts, each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. The conspiracy to receive stolen money charge carries up to five years on top of that.
Right now, though, none of this has been proven in court. Barker is presumed innocent, and it’s not yet clear whether he’ll seek a plea deal similar to the one his wife entered into last year.
Part of a Bigger Pattern
This case fits into a broader trend that federal prosecutors in New York and elsewhere have been actively pursuing, elder fraud schemes that route stolen money through Jamaica or rely on Jamaican nationals to help move funds. Just this year, other similar cases have wrapped up with lengthy sentences, including one Jamaican national who got eight years for stealing more than $9 million from over 200 elderly victims through a sweepstakes scam.
For now, it’s unclear how much of the stolen money, if any, can actually be recovered for Barker’s alleged victims. That’s usually the hardest part of these cases to resolve, even after convictions come through.